..... of an affliction so severe that it significantly restricts a person’s ability to function fully, a crater in the mind so deep that no one can responsibly suggest it would surely go away if those victims would just square their shoulders and think more positively.....
Jeffrey R. Holland

Monday, November 4, 2013

False Hope

Appointments grew farther apart, and
finally after what seemed to a long time, I went in for a review appointment.
The medication seemed to be working, but I had become even more tired.

With the next appointment she
indicated that she had talked to an associate, and that they had suggested that
I might have “sleep apnea” .An
appointment was made with the groups sleep lab for a “sleep test”. This occurred late November 2004.

Let me say at this time, with each
change in medication, or, Why don’t we try this or that, I felt a wonderful
anticipation that it might be the answer. This time I was sure. I had never
complained about not sleeping well, but this Sleep Apnea, would caused serious
sleep problems without your realizing.

It took what seemed forever to be
finally scheduled for the sleep over test at the lab, and to be monitored throughout
the night, by a person and computer. The first test was somehow inconclusive,
because I had not slept long enough to accurately measure. I had to have two
sleepovers, but the results were that I had “Severe Sleep Apnea.”At last there was something physical
contributing to my problems.The
solution was C-PAP.Continuous Positive Airway Pressure. A
C-PAP machine. It consisted of a machine that you use at night that generates a
“Continuous Positive Airway Pressure”into a mask that covers your nose.

Apnea, is when you stop breathing
while you are asleep. Usually it is something that normally happens to
everyone. It becomes serious when it is caused by an obstruction. Usually, it
is from the soft tissue and the back of the throat relaxing too much, as you
get older, the soft tissue gets sloppier and can causes an obstruction.When you stop breathing your nervous system
takes over and jolts you just enough to start breathing again Now your sleep
patterns have been disturbed, you wake in the morning, thinking you have slept
all night. When this goes on without your realizing it, and when it is severe
enough, how often you are jolted, so you can start breathing again, you take on
many of the symptoms of sleep deprivation.

At last, I know why I am so tired.

I doubt that many have actually
taken this machine home, hooked it up, put the mask on and slept all night.
There are a whole lot of problems to adjust to , before the machine can offer
any real help. Take my word for it, trying to sleep with a mask on your face
and a machine running is not what nature intended.

Sleep deprivation is a common condition that
afflicts 47 million American adults, or almost a quarter of the adult
population. Symptoms can interfere with memory, energy levels, mental
abilities, and emotional mood.

Lack
of sleep may result in:

Irritability,Slurred Speech, Memory Lapses, Memory loss
general,

Confusion, Clinical Depression, Decreased mental activity,

Decreased Concentration, Daytime Naps,Inability to tolerate stress,

I suffered from almost all of the
sleep deprivation symptoms ,Cure the
sleep problems, cure the depression.This had to be the answer.

I used the c-pap faithfully. Took it
on trips. I don't think I slept any better. Finally, in December of 2007, an appointment was made to see about throat
surgery. The surgery would correct the Apnea problem.The surgery has corrected the problem, but the depression hasn't changed.